PARIS, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- There was a "significant fall" in the level of violence in French towns and cities overnight, a day after state-of-emergency measures were introduced, said French National Police chief Michel Gaudin on Thursday.

    On the 14th night of unrest, 482 cars were torched, down from 617 on the previous night and the number of arrests made went down form 330 to 203, announced the police.

    Thirty-two mayors declared curfews in their towns or cities according to a central government decree issued on Wednesday, which, invoking a 1955 emergency law, empowers local authorities to declare curfews if they judge necessary.

    Under the state of emergency, local authorities can put troublemakers under house arrest, ban or limit the movement of people and vehicles, confiscate weapons and ban "meetings likely to provoke or fuel disorder."

    The riots in France started on Oct. 27 as youths in the poor northeastern suburbs of Paris went angry over the accidental deaths of two teenagers.

    They were quickly spread nationwide with arson attacks and clashes with police, mainly by Arab and black youths complaining of economic misery and racial discrimination. Enditem